ValleyCats overpower Aberdeen 7-3

Tri-City leads New York-Penn League in homers and strikeouts

The Tri-City ValleyCats lead the New York-Penn League in two of baseball's most macho statistics.

Their pitchers are tops with 236 strikeouts. Their batters are No. 1 with 18 homers.

With that kind of power on both sides, the ValleyCats are starting to roll.

Enmanuel Valdez and Ramiro Rodriguez went deep and four pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts in Tri-City's 7-3 victory over Aberdeen on Sunday before 3,104 at Bruno Stadium.

The ValleyCats (13-10) are on a season-high four-game winning streak to take over first place in the NYPL's Stedler Division.

Tri-City reliever Mark Moclair struck out six of the seven batters he faced.

"Of course, it definitely sends a message that what you're doing as far as development works," Moclair said. "It's what fans come to the game for, it's what wins games. You go out there with the intent to get every hitter out and do your best to get all of them out and most of the time that's going to result in a strikeout when you give it everything you've got. Especially with this organization."

Tri-City led the league with 737 strikeouts a year ago, though its team earned-run average (3.61) was significantly higher than this year (2.90).

The ValleyCats have struck out 28 in the past two games, including 15 in Saturday's 5-4 victory against Aberdeen (11-12).

Moclair, the Houston Astros' 12th-round pick out of Tampa, said he was motivated by Tri-City starter Luis Garcia, who had 10 strikeouts on Saturday, including seven in a row.

"I knew my day was going to be the next day, so I was like, OK, let's kind of keep this thing going and get a series win and show these guys what's up as a staff,'' Moclair said.

The ValleyCats also proved their worth as a batting order. Valdez hit a towering fly to right for a two-run homer off Aberdeen starter Hector Guance to put Tri-City up 2-0 in the the third inning. Valdez is tied for the NYPL with four homers.

Rodriguez added his first homer of the season, a solo blast to right, later in the third for a 4-0 lead.

The ValleyCats also led the league in homers last season with 58, although they're hitting for a higher average and OPS this year.

"We're big into hitting the ball hard in the air,'' Tri-City manager Jason Bell said. "So that's kind of what we teach as an offense and there's still room to grow, but it's nice to be in the lead so far this season."

The ValleyCats are best in the NYPL in another category with 39 stolen bases. They had five more on Sunday, led by Gilberto Celestino's pair of thefts.

A dominating win by Tri-City had some heated tempers in the ninth inning. With the ValleyCats leading 7-1, Aberdeen's Jaylen Ferguson hit a two-run homer to left off Tri-City's Hansel Paulino.

Tri-City catcher Alex Holderbach took exception to Ferguson's home run trot and let him know about it. The two exchanged words after Ferguson crossed home.

"Down six (runs), carrying your bat that far down the line, I'm like, come on,'' Holderbach said. "I wasn't very happy with that. I don't like when people try to show up my pitcher and I had to say something about it,'' he said.

Pitcher Jose Hernandez made his fourth start for the ValleyCats on a rehab assignment after Tommy John surgery. He went 3 2/3 innings and allowed five hits and one earned run. He left with men on first and second in the fourth, but Moclair struck out Aberdeen's Luke Ringhofer looking to end the threat.

Tri-City will go for the series sweep on Monday at 11 a.m. The ValleyCats will start pitcher J.B. Bukauskas, Houston's first-round pick last year, who will make his second appearance in a rehab assignment.